What Does Following Jesus Look Like?
10 Practices of a Disciple
Following Jesus is more than believing the right things. Jesus calls us to become His disciples, learning from Him, becoming more like Him, and living the way He taught us to live. That affects more than Sunday morning. It changes how we worship, how we pray, how we treat people, how we use what God has given us, how we respond when life is difficult, and how we participate in the mission of Jesus.
These ten practices describe the kind of disciples we want to become together. They aren't a checklist for earning God's love. We don't practice these things so Jesus will love us. We practice them because we belong to Jesus.
As you read, don't try to fix ten things at once. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where He wants to grow you and what your next step should be.
1. Give Jesus Your Whole Life
Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies to God as a “living sacrifice,” and Colossians 3:17 tells us that whatever we do, in word or deed, should be done in the name of Jesus. Following Jesus isn't supposed to occupy one section of our lives. Our work, relationships, words, choices, time, and even the ordinary routines of our day can all be offered to God as worship. A disciple is learning to bring every part of life under the lordship of Jesus.
Think about your own life. Is there an area you've had a particularly hard time surrendering to Jesus? Choose one ordinary thing you're going to do today and intentionally give it to Him. Before you begin, simply pray, “Jesus, I give this to You. Help me honor You in it.” Then do that ordinary thing as an act of worship.
2. Worship God With Everything
Psalm 95:6 invites God's people to worship, bow down, and kneel before the Lord, while Jesus says in John 4:23–24 that the Father is seeking people who will worship Him “in spirit and truth.” Worship is more than music. It's our response to who God is, and that response should be both genuine and grounded in truth. Sometimes worship looks like singing. Sometimes it looks like kneeling, praying, giving thanks, obeying, surrendering, or simply stopping long enough to remember who God is. The question isn't only, “Did I worship on Sunday?” but, “Is my life responding to the worth of God?”
Set aside ten intentional minutes to worship God this week. Sing, pray, kneel, read a Psalm aloud, or simply tell God what you know to be true about Him. For those few minutes, don't ask Him for anything. Simply give Him your attention and worship Him for who He is.
3. Don't Follow Jesus Alone
Acts 2:42 says the first Christians devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. Hebrews 10:24–25 tells Christians not to neglect gathering together, but to encourage one another and stir each other toward love and good works. The first Christians weren't simply people who attended the same gathering once a week. They shared their lives. They learned together, ate together, prayed together, and encouraged one another. You can know Jesus personally, but you were never meant to follow Jesus privately.
Ask yourself who actually knows what's happening in your life right now. Are you participating in Christian community, or are you simply attending Christian gatherings? Take one step toward another believer this week. Join a Community Group, invite someone to coffee, send someone an encouraging message, share what's actually happening in your life, or ask someone how you can pray for them. Take a step from attendance toward relationship.
4. Help Someone Else Follow Jesus
Jesus tells His followers in Matthew 28:19–20 to go and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything He commanded. Paul gives Timothy a similar picture in 2 Timothy 2:2. What Timothy learned from Paul was supposed to be entrusted to faithful people who could then teach others. Paul taught Timothy, Timothy taught others, and those people would teach still others. Discipleship was always meant to multiply.
You don't need a theology degree or all the answers to help someone follow Jesus. You can share what God is teaching you, pray with someone, read Scripture together, encourage another believer, or simply walk alongside someone who's a little earlier in their journey than you are. Ask yourself: Who am I intentionally helping follow Jesus? If nobody comes to mind, think about the people God has already placed around you and reach out to one of them this week.
5. Know What You're Fighting
Scripture reminds us that there is more happening around us than what we can physically see. Paul says in Ephesians 6:12–13 that our struggle isn't against flesh and blood, and 2 Corinthians 10:3–4 reminds us that the weapons of our warfare aren't merely human weapons. That should change the way we respond to opposition, temptation, discouragement, division, and spiritual resistance. People are not the enemy.
Think about a difficult situation you're facing right now. Is there someone you've begun treating like the enemy? Instead of simply reacting to the person or situation, bring it before God. Read Ephesians 6:10–18 slowly and turn Paul's description of the armor of God into prayer. Ask God to help you stand firm, walk in truth, pursue righteousness, trust Him, and respond to the battle His way.
6. Build a Life of Prayer
First Thessalonians 5:16–18 tells us to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. Prayer isn't supposed to be an emergency button we press when everything goes wrong. It's meant to become a rhythm of our lives. We bring God our needs, pray for other people, thank Him, confess sin, ask for wisdom, celebrate what He's doing, and sometimes simply sit quietly before Him. “Pray without ceasing” doesn't mean spending every waking second with your eyes closed. It means prayer becomes an ongoing part of your relationship with God. Disciples don't just believe in prayer. Disciples pray.
Try building prayer into your normal day instead of waiting until you feel particularly spiritual. Tomorrow, stop three times: morning, midday, and evening. In the morning, thank God. At midday, ask Him for help. In the evening, pray for someone else. They don't have to be long prayers. Start small and begin building a life of prayer.
7. Practice Joyful Generosity
Second Corinthians 9:7 says that our giving shouldn't come reluctantly or under compulsion because God loves a cheerful giver. Acts 20:35 reminds us of Jesus' words that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” Generosity is bigger than money. It's a posture that recognizes that what God has given us isn't only for us. We can be generous with our finances, possessions, homes, food, abilities, attention, and time. Generosity loosens our grip on what we have and reminds us that everything ultimately belongs to God.
Consider where generosity comes easily to you and where it doesn't. Then intentionally give something this week. Buy someone's meal, meet a need, give financially, share something you own, or give someone your time. Whatever you choose, don't give begrudgingly. Practice giving with joy.
8. Learn to Wait on God
Isaiah 40:31 speaks about those who wait for the Lord renewing their strength, while Psalm 37:7 tells us to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Waiting can be difficult because we want answers, direction, and movement. When God doesn't move according to our timeline, we're often tempted to move without Him. But biblical waiting isn't passive. It's an active posture of trust. We pray, listen, remain faithful to what God has already told us, and trust Him with what He hasn't revealed yet.
Where are you currently tempted to rush God? Take five minutes this week and sit in silence. No music, podcast, phone, or list of requests. Simply pray, “Holy Spirit, I'm listening. Help me trust Your direction and Your timing.” Sometimes discipleship means moving when God says move. Sometimes it means having enough trust not to move yet.
9. Show AND Tell the Gospel
Jesus commands His followers in Matthew 28:19–20 to go and make disciples. First John 3:17–18 also warns us against loving merely “in word or talk” instead of “in deed and in truth.” We sometimes create a false choice between telling people about Jesus and showing people the love of Jesus. Scripture calls us to both. Our lives should demonstrate the compassion and character of Jesus, but our actions alone can't explain the Gospel. People also need to hear the good news of what Jesus has done. We show the Gospel with our lives, and we tell the Gospel with our words.
Think of one person in your life who doesn't know Jesus and begin praying for them by name. Ask God for an opportunity to love them well and for the courage to speak about Jesus when the opportunity comes. Don't manufacture a conversation or make someone into a project. Love them genuinely, pray faithfully, and be ready to explain the hope you have in Jesus.
10. Notice People in Need
Proverbs 19:17 connects generosity toward the poor with generosity toward the Lord, and Hebrews 13:16 tells believers not to neglect doing good and sharing what they have. It's easy to care about people in theory. It's harder to notice the person right in front of us. Scripture repeatedly connects our love for God with practical care for people. Sometimes that means meeting a financial need. Sometimes it's food, assistance, time, attention, or simply using something God has already put in our hands to help someone else. Compassion notices, and then compassion moves.
Start your day by asking, “Jesus, show me someone I can serve today.” Then pay attention. Don't assume the opportunity will be dramatic. If God puts a need in front of you that you have the ability to meet, do something about it.
What's Your Next Step?
Devotion. Worship. Community. Discipleship. Spiritual warfare. Prayer. Generosity. Waiting on God. Evangelism. Compassion. Together, these give us a picture of a life that is increasingly being shaped by Jesus.
But don't finish reading this thinking, “Well, apparently I have ten things I need to work on.” Instead, ask one question: Where is Jesus inviting me to grow right now? Maybe you need to build a life of prayer. Maybe you've been trying to follow Jesus alone. Maybe you've been growing personally but haven't started helping someone else grow. Maybe God is challenging you toward generosity. Maybe you've been silent about Jesus. Maybe you're trying to force something that requires waiting. Maybe there's someone right in front of you who needs your help. Choose one. Take the step. Then keep walking.
Following Jesus isn't about completing a checklist. It's a lifetime of learning to trust Him, obey Him, become more like Him, and help others do the same. You don't have to take every step today. You just need to take your next one.
Following Jesus is more than believing the right things. Jesus calls us to become His disciples, learning from Him, becoming more like Him, and living the way He taught us to live. That affects more than Sunday morning. It changes how we worship, how we pray, how we treat people, how we use what God has given us, how we respond when life is difficult, and how we participate in the mission of Jesus.
These ten practices describe the kind of disciples we want to become together. They aren't a checklist for earning God's love. We don't practice these things so Jesus will love us. We practice them because we belong to Jesus.
As you read, don't try to fix ten things at once. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where He wants to grow you and what your next step should be.
1. Give Jesus Your Whole Life
Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies to God as a “living sacrifice,” and Colossians 3:17 tells us that whatever we do, in word or deed, should be done in the name of Jesus. Following Jesus isn't supposed to occupy one section of our lives. Our work, relationships, words, choices, time, and even the ordinary routines of our day can all be offered to God as worship. A disciple is learning to bring every part of life under the lordship of Jesus.
Think about your own life. Is there an area you've had a particularly hard time surrendering to Jesus? Choose one ordinary thing you're going to do today and intentionally give it to Him. Before you begin, simply pray, “Jesus, I give this to You. Help me honor You in it.” Then do that ordinary thing as an act of worship.
2. Worship God With Everything
Psalm 95:6 invites God's people to worship, bow down, and kneel before the Lord, while Jesus says in John 4:23–24 that the Father is seeking people who will worship Him “in spirit and truth.” Worship is more than music. It's our response to who God is, and that response should be both genuine and grounded in truth. Sometimes worship looks like singing. Sometimes it looks like kneeling, praying, giving thanks, obeying, surrendering, or simply stopping long enough to remember who God is. The question isn't only, “Did I worship on Sunday?” but, “Is my life responding to the worth of God?”
Set aside ten intentional minutes to worship God this week. Sing, pray, kneel, read a Psalm aloud, or simply tell God what you know to be true about Him. For those few minutes, don't ask Him for anything. Simply give Him your attention and worship Him for who He is.
3. Don't Follow Jesus Alone
Acts 2:42 says the first Christians devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. Hebrews 10:24–25 tells Christians not to neglect gathering together, but to encourage one another and stir each other toward love and good works. The first Christians weren't simply people who attended the same gathering once a week. They shared their lives. They learned together, ate together, prayed together, and encouraged one another. You can know Jesus personally, but you were never meant to follow Jesus privately.
Ask yourself who actually knows what's happening in your life right now. Are you participating in Christian community, or are you simply attending Christian gatherings? Take one step toward another believer this week. Join a Community Group, invite someone to coffee, send someone an encouraging message, share what's actually happening in your life, or ask someone how you can pray for them. Take a step from attendance toward relationship.
4. Help Someone Else Follow Jesus
Jesus tells His followers in Matthew 28:19–20 to go and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything He commanded. Paul gives Timothy a similar picture in 2 Timothy 2:2. What Timothy learned from Paul was supposed to be entrusted to faithful people who could then teach others. Paul taught Timothy, Timothy taught others, and those people would teach still others. Discipleship was always meant to multiply.
You don't need a theology degree or all the answers to help someone follow Jesus. You can share what God is teaching you, pray with someone, read Scripture together, encourage another believer, or simply walk alongside someone who's a little earlier in their journey than you are. Ask yourself: Who am I intentionally helping follow Jesus? If nobody comes to mind, think about the people God has already placed around you and reach out to one of them this week.
5. Know What You're Fighting
Scripture reminds us that there is more happening around us than what we can physically see. Paul says in Ephesians 6:12–13 that our struggle isn't against flesh and blood, and 2 Corinthians 10:3–4 reminds us that the weapons of our warfare aren't merely human weapons. That should change the way we respond to opposition, temptation, discouragement, division, and spiritual resistance. People are not the enemy.
Think about a difficult situation you're facing right now. Is there someone you've begun treating like the enemy? Instead of simply reacting to the person or situation, bring it before God. Read Ephesians 6:10–18 slowly and turn Paul's description of the armor of God into prayer. Ask God to help you stand firm, walk in truth, pursue righteousness, trust Him, and respond to the battle His way.
6. Build a Life of Prayer
First Thessalonians 5:16–18 tells us to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. Prayer isn't supposed to be an emergency button we press when everything goes wrong. It's meant to become a rhythm of our lives. We bring God our needs, pray for other people, thank Him, confess sin, ask for wisdom, celebrate what He's doing, and sometimes simply sit quietly before Him. “Pray without ceasing” doesn't mean spending every waking second with your eyes closed. It means prayer becomes an ongoing part of your relationship with God. Disciples don't just believe in prayer. Disciples pray.
Try building prayer into your normal day instead of waiting until you feel particularly spiritual. Tomorrow, stop three times: morning, midday, and evening. In the morning, thank God. At midday, ask Him for help. In the evening, pray for someone else. They don't have to be long prayers. Start small and begin building a life of prayer.
7. Practice Joyful Generosity
Second Corinthians 9:7 says that our giving shouldn't come reluctantly or under compulsion because God loves a cheerful giver. Acts 20:35 reminds us of Jesus' words that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” Generosity is bigger than money. It's a posture that recognizes that what God has given us isn't only for us. We can be generous with our finances, possessions, homes, food, abilities, attention, and time. Generosity loosens our grip on what we have and reminds us that everything ultimately belongs to God.
Consider where generosity comes easily to you and where it doesn't. Then intentionally give something this week. Buy someone's meal, meet a need, give financially, share something you own, or give someone your time. Whatever you choose, don't give begrudgingly. Practice giving with joy.
8. Learn to Wait on God
Isaiah 40:31 speaks about those who wait for the Lord renewing their strength, while Psalm 37:7 tells us to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Waiting can be difficult because we want answers, direction, and movement. When God doesn't move according to our timeline, we're often tempted to move without Him. But biblical waiting isn't passive. It's an active posture of trust. We pray, listen, remain faithful to what God has already told us, and trust Him with what He hasn't revealed yet.
Where are you currently tempted to rush God? Take five minutes this week and sit in silence. No music, podcast, phone, or list of requests. Simply pray, “Holy Spirit, I'm listening. Help me trust Your direction and Your timing.” Sometimes discipleship means moving when God says move. Sometimes it means having enough trust not to move yet.
9. Show AND Tell the Gospel
Jesus commands His followers in Matthew 28:19–20 to go and make disciples. First John 3:17–18 also warns us against loving merely “in word or talk” instead of “in deed and in truth.” We sometimes create a false choice between telling people about Jesus and showing people the love of Jesus. Scripture calls us to both. Our lives should demonstrate the compassion and character of Jesus, but our actions alone can't explain the Gospel. People also need to hear the good news of what Jesus has done. We show the Gospel with our lives, and we tell the Gospel with our words.
Think of one person in your life who doesn't know Jesus and begin praying for them by name. Ask God for an opportunity to love them well and for the courage to speak about Jesus when the opportunity comes. Don't manufacture a conversation or make someone into a project. Love them genuinely, pray faithfully, and be ready to explain the hope you have in Jesus.
10. Notice People in Need
Proverbs 19:17 connects generosity toward the poor with generosity toward the Lord, and Hebrews 13:16 tells believers not to neglect doing good and sharing what they have. It's easy to care about people in theory. It's harder to notice the person right in front of us. Scripture repeatedly connects our love for God with practical care for people. Sometimes that means meeting a financial need. Sometimes it's food, assistance, time, attention, or simply using something God has already put in our hands to help someone else. Compassion notices, and then compassion moves.
Start your day by asking, “Jesus, show me someone I can serve today.” Then pay attention. Don't assume the opportunity will be dramatic. If God puts a need in front of you that you have the ability to meet, do something about it.
What's Your Next Step?
Devotion. Worship. Community. Discipleship. Spiritual warfare. Prayer. Generosity. Waiting on God. Evangelism. Compassion. Together, these give us a picture of a life that is increasingly being shaped by Jesus.
But don't finish reading this thinking, “Well, apparently I have ten things I need to work on.” Instead, ask one question: Where is Jesus inviting me to grow right now? Maybe you need to build a life of prayer. Maybe you've been trying to follow Jesus alone. Maybe you've been growing personally but haven't started helping someone else grow. Maybe God is challenging you toward generosity. Maybe you've been silent about Jesus. Maybe you're trying to force something that requires waiting. Maybe there's someone right in front of you who needs your help. Choose one. Take the step. Then keep walking.
Following Jesus isn't about completing a checklist. It's a lifetime of learning to trust Him, obey Him, become more like Him, and help others do the same. You don't have to take every step today. You just need to take your next one.
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